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Major update on man set to be executed in Iran following threat from Trump
Erfan Soltani, the 26-year-old protester who was believed to be facing execution in Iran, has not been sentenced to death, according to the country’s judiciary.
The announcement, which aired on Iranian state media, came shortly after his family was informed that his execution had been postponed.
Soltani, a clothing shop employee, was arrested just days ago during a demonstration north-west of Tehran and was reportedly set to be executed on Wednesday.
The judiciary now claims that if he is convicted, the charges he faces — including propaganda against the Islamic system and actions against national security — do not carry the death penalty.
“The punishment, according to the law, will be imprisonment, as the death penalty does not exist for such charges,” the statement said, per The Guardian. Soltani remains in Karaj prison outside Tehran.
Iran's airspace shut, then reopens as tensions spike
Earlier in the day, Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights for several hours without explanation, per ABC News. The unexpected shutdown, affecting one of the world’s busiest east-west flight routes, caused international carriers to divert flights around Iranian airspace.
The closure lasted more than four hours before authorities announced that flights had resumed, but offered no reasons for the disruption.
This came as tensions between Tehran and Washington flared following weeks of protests and violent crackdowns that have reportedly led to thousands of deaths and arrests. The closure fueled speculation that Iranian authorities were bracing for foreign retaliation.
Trump claims executions halted, leaves military strike on table
President Trump had issued the threat of military intervention in Iran if there is a violent crackdown on protestors.
At the White House, Donald Trump said he had received assurances that the Iranian government had backed off on planned executions. “Very important sources on the other side” told him that “the killing has stopped and the executions won’t take place,” Trump said, per CBS News. When asked whether military action was still being considered, he replied: “We’re going to watch it and see what the process is.”
He also commented on opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, saying, “He seems very nice,” but questioned whether Pahlavi could actually gain support inside Iran.
As the situation develops, foreign governments including the US, India, Spain, and Germany have urged their citizens to leave Iran, citing growing instability.
Meanwhile, global markets saw oil prices dip sharply following Trump’s remarks, as fears of a major escalation appeared to cool — at least for now.